Nourish
7 New Rules for Being Healthy
Never eat white flour. Exercise for at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week. Eat X amount of protein. Stay away from sugar! You’ve probably heard these and other rules about how to be healthy. But here’s the thing: When it comes to whole-body health, it’s not one size fits all. There is no single formula that works for everyone.
By letting go of expectations and other people’s rules, you can cultivate a healthy lifestyle that works for you and that’s sustainable—and fun! Here are seven tips for creating your own rules for being healthy.
Stay flexible about exercise.
Some prescriptive formulas for exercise will have you believe that if you don’t workout at a certain time of day for a specific amount of time, you failed. We don’t buy it. Schedule workouts when they make sense for you. Some days exercise might be an early-morning barre3 class, while on others it’s an after-dinner walk around the block—and next week it could look completely different! By staying flexible, you create opportunities for success based on whatever each day brings.
Satisfy your cravings.
We don’t count calories, and now new research is backing us up that dieting isn’t healthy over the long term. Restrictive diets cause stress and anxiety, and they can create rigid dichotomies that are hard to sustain. Cheat days have become a popular release valve for chronic dieters, but we prefer to satisfy cravings when they strike.
A great strategy for eating healthy without depriving yourself is crowding out. The idea is that you “crowd out” foods that don’t serve you with more nutritious whole-food—but still very tasty!—options. For example, you might stock up on kale chips so that you can get your salty-snack fix without having to resort to potato chips.
And if there’s something you really want—you know, those times when you’ll feel sad or like you missed out if you don’t have it—go for it.
“If I’m really craving a cupcake, I let myself have it,” says Lead barre3 Online Instructor Candace Ofcacek. “And I feel really good about it!”
Embrace rest days.
Whether you’re feeling sore after a tough workout or mentally exhausted after a long day, it’s important to listen to your body and let it rest when that’s what it’s asking for. Sometimes taking a rest day is a healthier choice than going after a deep muscle burn.
“After a full week, sometimes I need a whole day dedicated to recharging,” says barre3 Communications Manager Kait Hurley. “If I feel like reading a book, taking a nap, or just hanging out in my PJs all Saturday afternoon, I let myself do it.”
Know what’s in your food.
While we don’t count calories, we still recommend paying attention to food labels so that you know what ingredients you’re putting in your body. Many of the foods that are marketed as “healthy”—for example, salad dressings and breakfast cereals—are actually full of high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial ingredients. Fortunately, it just got easier to see which foods are loaded with sugar, since the FDA decided to require a separate line on food labels for added sugars.
Keep it fresh.
Establishing routines can be a great way to make exercise a regular part of your life. But if your routine is starting to feel like a chore and something you “have” to do, try mixing it up. Organize a group of friends for an exercise class after work, or set your alarm early and go out for a walk before your day gets busy. Instead of using your weekend run to clear your head, how about asking your partner to join you? Changing things up is a great way to spice up your exercise habits and keep routines fresh.
Stay in tune with your body.
Every day is different. On Monday you might have gone turbo in class and felt energetic all day. By Thursday maybe you feel sore and a little lethargic. Sustainable healthy living is all about listening to your own body wisdom and making choices that feel right for you.
“When we trust our instincts and learn to listen to what we really need in every moment, our bodies transform in an empowering way,” says barre3 Founder Sadie Lincoln.
Get fresh air.
There’s nothing like getting outside when you need to clear your head or perk yourself up. If you’re a treadmill runner, try hitting a trail or the road on your next run. If you’re someone who sits in a lot of meetings all day, look for opportunities to schedule walking meetings. If that’s impossible, try grabbing some time in between appointments to head outside—just five minutes can make a big difference!
“Even when I’m crazy busy, I make time for a quick walk,” says barre3’s VP of Franchising Sales, Amy Leclerc. “I find that when I get back to my desk, I’m able to tackle my to-do list much more efficiently.”
Do you have some rigid health habits or ideas that you can start letting go of? Or maybe you have found routines that are really working for you. We’d love to hear about all of it in the comments below!
Never eat white flour. Exercise for at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week. Eat X amount of protein. Stay away from sugar! You’ve probably heard these and other rules about how to be healthy. But here’s the thing: When it comes to whole-body health, it’s not one size fits all. There is no single formula that works for everyone.
By letting go of expectations and other people’s rules, you can cultivate a healthy lifestyle that works for you and that’s sustainable—and fun! Here are seven tips for creating your own rules for being healthy.
Stay flexible about exercise.
Some prescriptive formulas for exercise will have you believe that if you don’t workout at a certain time of day for a specific amount of time, you failed. We don’t buy it. Schedule workouts when they make sense for you. Some days exercise might be an early-morning barre3 class, while on others it’s an after-dinner walk around the block—and next week it could look completely different! By staying flexible, you create opportunities for success based on whatever each day brings.
Satisfy your cravings.
We don’t count calories, and now new research is backing us up that dieting isn’t healthy over the long term. Restrictive diets cause stress and anxiety, and they can create rigid dichotomies that are hard to sustain. Cheat days have become a popular release valve for chronic dieters, but we prefer to satisfy cravings when they strike.
A great strategy for eating healthy without depriving yourself is crowding out. The idea is that you “crowd out” foods that don’t serve you with more nutritious whole-food—but still very tasty!—options. For example, you might stock up on kale chips so that you can get your salty-snack fix without having to resort to potato chips.
And if there’s something you really want—you know, those times when you’ll feel sad or like you missed out if you don’t have it—go for it.
“If I’m really craving a cupcake, I let myself have it,” says Lead barre3 Online Instructor Candace Ofcacek. “And I feel really good about it!”
Embrace rest days.
Whether you’re feeling sore after a tough workout or mentally exhausted after a long day, it’s important to listen to your body and let it rest when that’s what it’s asking for. Sometimes taking a rest day is a healthier choice than going after a deep muscle burn.
“After a full week, sometimes I need a whole day dedicated to recharging,” says barre3 Communications Manager Kait Hurley. “If I feel like reading a book, taking a nap, or just hanging out in my PJs all Saturday afternoon, I let myself do it.”
Know what’s in your food.
While we don’t count calories, we still recommend paying attention to food labels so that you know what ingredients you’re putting in your body. Many of the foods that are marketed as “healthy”—for example, salad dressings and breakfast cereals—are actually full of high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial ingredients. Fortunately, it just got easier to see which foods are loaded with sugar, since the FDA decided to require a separate line on food labels for added sugars.
Keep it fresh.
Establishing routines can be a great way to make exercise a regular part of your life. But if your routine is starting to feel like a chore and something you “have” to do, try mixing it up. Organize a group of friends for an exercise class after work, or set your alarm early and go out for a walk before your day gets busy. Instead of using your weekend run to clear your head, how about asking your partner to join you? Changing things up is a great way to spice up your exercise habits and keep routines fresh.
Stay in tune with your body.
Every day is different. On Monday you might have gone turbo in class and felt energetic all day. By Thursday maybe you feel sore and a little lethargic. Sustainable healthy living is all about listening to your own body wisdom and making choices that feel right for you.
“When we trust our instincts and learn to listen to what we really need in every moment, our bodies transform in an empowering way,” says barre3 Founder Sadie Lincoln.
Get fresh air.
There’s nothing like getting outside when you need to clear your head or perk yourself up. If you’re a treadmill runner, try hitting a trail or the road on your next run. If you’re someone who sits in a lot of meetings all day, look for opportunities to schedule walking meetings. If that’s impossible, try grabbing some time in between appointments to head outside—just five minutes can make a big difference!
“Even when I’m crazy busy, I make time for a quick walk,” says barre3’s VP of Franchising Sales, Amy Leclerc. “I find that when I get back to my desk, I’m able to tackle my to-do list much more efficiently.”
Do you have some rigid health habits or ideas that you can start letting go of? Or maybe you have found routines that are really working for you. We’d love to hear about all of it in the comments below!
